Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be
normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but
normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles
tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but
that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially
Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden
she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot
demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but
she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't
an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for
the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with
Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a
one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Review:

One
of these days Jennifer Armentrout is going to disappear and there is a good
chance people will find her locked up in my basement with a laptop and endless
supply of Jenuine Cupcake's peanut butter frosting so she can write exclusively
for me nonstop. I honestly believe anything this woman writes is gold, and White Hot Kiss is no exception.

Armentrout
brings her signature wit and flare to bring to life a world of demons and
gargoyles right in our own backyard. She seamlessly weaves contemporary with
paranormal in an exciting, original and heart-meltingly swoony ride.

Layla
is a conflicted girl with a lot of sass and a lot of wounds. She begins guarded
and a little emotionally fragile, but evolves into a kick ass heroine with
biting snark and a backbone of steel. She's flanked by two of the hottest book
boys in the history of book boys - bad boy demon, Roth, who has a lot more
simmering under the surface than I originally thought. And also Zayne, Layla's
protector and lifelong friend with unwavering loyalty.

This
book is a brilliant start to another incredible series by Armentrout. Fans of
hers have undoubtedly pre-ordered this one, but if you're new to the Armentrout
craze, this is a great way to start a lifelong love of her work.

Eli and his family have lived in the
underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've
become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

For Eli, no amount
of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only
his two sisters, his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day
after day.

As problems with
their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their
sanity—Eli can't help but wonder if he'd rather take his chances outside.

Eli's father built
the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—or sorry?

Review:

Nuclear bomb shelter? I would want to have one
if I knew that there was a very real possibility of an attack. Wouldn't you?
That's exactly what Eli thought, at first.

Eli
grew up hearing nothing but nuclear facts his whole life. That is all his
father cared about. Then his father took that information an went a little to
far. Tearing Eli's family apart. Eli quickly learns that he really has no idea
who his father is. He was never around before and he certainly isn't now. And
Eli needs his dad more then ever.

These
characters were so detailed. My favorite part about it a book is when you the
character like a friend of yours. The insight given of the minds of Eli, his sisters,
mother , and eventually his father really make this a personal story. At the
same time there is enough mystery that you gasp when one of the characters
surprises you with a decision.

This
has got to be one of the most detailed stories I have read. You get the
clearest picture of the compound and what Bodeen was trying to portray. There
were a few details that seemed a bit over the top and not extremely relevant to
the story but all put together, they give a mental map that really helps out
the story line.

All
the secrets, lies, and surprising relationships, Eli soon realizes that his
little safe haven isn't what is seems and it's not safe. Bodeen take you on a
captivating ride that pulls on your heart strings as one heart opens up. I
actually had few tears with this one. And one of my favorite things, that
little bit of "oh no!" at the end. I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?Review:
I am a huge Victoria Scott fan. She wowed me with her Dante Walker series, so I have been so excited about reading her newest book, FIRE & FLOOD. Victoria did not let me down - not that I had any doubts she would.

Tella is a unique girl. I think what I loved about her most was her family bonds, especially with her brother, Cody. When presented with an opportunity to save her brother, she drops everything to do so. As the big sister of a little brother, I can assure you I understood her motivation every step of the way. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him, and no length too far to go to protect him. Tella, I feel you, girl.

Of course this is a Victoria Scott novel so you know she won't leave you hanging in the swoony boy department. I like Guy. He's strong and I just need more Guy in my life.

Fans of Victoria's first series won't be disappointed. She brings her usual wit and banter to vivid characters in dire situations. Her books are wonderful entertainment, I cannot wait to see how the next book goes.

About Victoria:

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Israel, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Feb 24, 2014

I am so, so very excited to welcome Bethany Hagen onto the blog today. Bethany's debut novel, LANDRY PARK, was a surprise hit for me this year. I absolutely fell in love with the characters, setting, and brilliance of her writing. Make sure you check out my review.

One of the most difficult parts of writing Landry Park was writing about the Rootless. In this world, all of the estates are driven by nuclear power, and all of the nuclear waste from these estates is handled by an underclass, the Rootless. Malnourished, routinely beaten, and all suffering from some degree of radiation poisoning, the Rootless are the counterpoint to Madeline’s comfortable and luxurious life.

There’s one scene in particular where Madeline goes to the sorting yards—the place where the nuclear waste is processed—and witnesses firsthand what their daily life is like. I had just reread John Hersey’s Hiroshima prior to writing it, and so I had a very vivid picture in my mind of what acute radiation poisoning looks like. It’s not pretty. Beyond skin burns, the poisoned can experience frequent vomiting, severe headaches, and many develop forms of cancer. Writing about that was not easy—but it was necessary for Madeline to see.

Landry Park Synopsis:

In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish Gentry, sixteen year old Madeline Landry dreams of going off to the University. Gentry decorum and her domineering father won’t allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when her childhood friend is attacked and she witnesses Gentry golden boy David Dana secretly helping a Rootless girl, in spite of the fact that the Rootless, who maintain the nuclear power the country relies on, are exposed to dangerous radiation. As Madeline begins to question everything she has been taught her whole life, rumors of war and rebellion begin to swirl amidst Gentry courtships and extravagant debuts. Soon Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she is forced to make a choice: to stay with the Gentry—her family, her charmed life, and the estate she loves dearly—or to join David in the fight for Rootless equality.

About Bethany Hagen:

Bethany Hagen was born and raised in Kansas City, meaning she can tolerate jazz for brief amounts of time and is offended by dry rub barbecue. She grew up reading Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, and all things King Arthur. When she's not working at the library or running around with her kids and husband, she's writing or thinking about writing. Landry Park is her debut book.

Giveaway:

The lovely folks at Penguin are letting me give away one finished hardcover copy of LANDRY PARK! Winner must be over 13. US only.

Feb 21, 2014

Yesterday was the official three year blogoversary of The Irish Banana Review.

Three years.

It has been a crazy 3 years, and if you're reading this, I hope you know how much I appreciate you being here. =)

That being said, I have been wrestling with some decisions lately and I've come to a couple conclusions that I think need to be shared with all of you. These decisions are for personal reasons and I'm not going to spend a lot of time preaching or justifying my reasons.

I'm ending the blog and moving to Alaska to be on Deadliest Catch.

Just kidding! We all know I can't handle snow. And touching fish squicks me out. So ... no.

But changes are a-coming. Here's what's going on:

1. New Rating System

When I first started The Irish Banana Review, I graded books much like an English teacher. They were given A - F's and it worked for me. Except when I gave out those D's and F's or - even worse - a DNF.

I find writing negative reviews to be easier, but what bothered me more was the comments I got from people saying: 'Thanks for the warning - I won't read this.' It always felt ... wrong to me. I never, ever want to discourage people from not reading something.

There is no such thing as an unbiased review unless you're a robot. Every experience, event, moment, and memory colors and twists our perceptions and gives us a different reaction to something we read. The book I hate and want to throw across the room might be the book that you love and re-read a hundred times. And there is nothing wrong with either feeling.

So I've been slowly shifting this blog into only positive reviews. I'll be switching to a starred rating system, and nothing less than 3 stars will be reviewed here. I want a blog that endorses and promotes books. I want people to leave here wanting to read a book, not dismissing it.

I am notsaying negative and critical reviews don't have a place. I think they do. And if you have them on your blog, awesome. I am just saying that for me (and Gabrielle), we want to focus on the positive.

2. All Grown Up

The Irish Banana Review is a mostly YA blog. Yes, sometimes I review some New Adult and a smattering of Middle Grade, but the primary focus is Young Adult. Always has been, always will be.

But I do find myself reading more and more adult novels. And I want to talk about these novels ... but because I've embraced a young audience here, I don't feel like this is the proper forum for it. So I am starting a second blog called (did you guess it?) All Grown Up. I will be posting adult reviews here once it's up and running. If you're a YA reviewer who also forays into adult and wants to review those books, let me know if you want to review on there, too.

All Grown Up is not replacing The Irish Banana Review. 80% of what I read is YA/NA and will be reviewed here. But the other 20% will be on All Grown Up where I can talk about grown up books. Sometimes a girl just needs some grown up ... fun.

Feb 14, 2014

I am so very excited to welcome Clare Kensie to the blog today. Clare is the brilliant author behind RUN TO YOU, a new serial-format novel from HarlequinTeen that utterly amazed and intrigued me from start to finish. Today Clare is interviewing Tristan, the swoon-worthy leading male that Tessa falls hard for. And it's so easy to see why.

CK: Wish I could, Tristan, but you’ll have to find out along with everyone else.

TW: I knew you would say that.

RUN TO YOU PART ONE: FIRST SIGHT

(available February 1, 2014)Part One in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Sarah Spencer has a secret: her real name is Tessa Carson, and to stay alive, she can tell no one the truth about her psychically gifted family and the danger they are running from. As the new girl in the latest of countless schools, she also runs from her attraction to Tristan Walker—after all, she can’t even tell him her real name. But Tristan won’t be put off by a few secrets. Not even dangerous ones that might rip Tessa from his arms before they even kiss…

RUN TO YOU PART TWO: SECOND GLANCE
(available February 8, 2014)Part Two in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Tessa Carson has unlocked her heart and her secrets to Tristan Walker—but Tristan has secrets of his own, and his might just mean the end of Tessa’s family. Unaware, Tessa embraces falling in love and being herself for the first time since she was attacked when she was only eight years old. But secrets can’t be run from forever, and sometimes love is too good to be true…

RUN TO YOU PART THREE: THIRD CHARM
(available February 15, 2014)Part Three in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Betrayed, heartbroken, and determined to save her family, Tessa Carson refuses to give in to Tristan Walker’s pleas for forgiveness. But her own awakening psychic gift won’t let her rest until she uncovers the truth about her family and her past. And Tristan is the only one who can help her sift through the secrets to find the truth hidden in all the lies…

Clara Kensie grew up near Chicago, reading every book she could find and using her diary to write stories about a girl with psychic powers who solved mysteries. She purposely did not hide her diary, hoping someone would read it and assume she was writing about herself. Since then, she’s swapped her diary for a computer and admits her characters are fictional, but otherwise she hasn’t changed one bit.

3 winners will receive a package of Harlequin TEEN books which includes:

PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry (print)

INDIGO AWAKENING by Jordan Dane (print)

a SOUL SCREAMERS volume by Rachel Vincent (print)

All three parts of RUN TO YOU Book One (ebooks)

Part One: First Sight

Part Two: Second Glance

Part Three: Third Charm

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS:

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

Feb 13, 2014

Welcome to the next stop in the BE WITH ME blog tour by the ever-amazing J. Lynn. I adore everything and everything she writes (both as J. Lynn and Jennifer L. Armentrout), and BE WITH ME is one of my absolute favorites of hers thus far.

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…

We all have that author that is on our auto-buy list. J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of those authors for me. She has a fun, vivacious, witty way of telling a story that grabs me immediately and doesn't let go. BE WITH ME is no exception to that rule.

You may remember Tess from Wait For You as Cam's little sister who has more than a few demons in her closet. Tess has been through the ringer and come back all the stronger for it, one of the many, many reasons I love her a main character. She's flawed but is able to pick herself up and keep going.

I knew I would love Tess, but I was surprised I love Jase as much as I did. I never got a strong opinion of him one way or another in book one, but he is such a genuine, good guy. He balances Tess perfectly. Jase also has some pretty frickin' awesome relatives (I am referring to a certain cupcake totin' gem who is more real than fiction but just as fabulous in both worlds).

This is a wonderful book. I know that new adult is being saturated with overdone tropes, but J. Lynn is a powerhouse writer who can truly do it all.

Rating: A

About The Author

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Feb 11, 2014

Hey guys! I am so, so very excited to share with y'all the cover for THE SHADOW PRINCE - the first novella in my girl Stacey O'Neale's Mortal Enchantment series. This one sounds amazing and that cover is just freakin' amazeballs. I am so in lust with it!

This prequel novella will be FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble on March 25, 2014!

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Stacey O'Neale started her career in publishing as a blogger turned publicist for two successful small publishers. She loves to write stories with swoony paranormal heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

When she's not writing, she loves blogging and fangirling about books on twitter. Occasionally, she leaves her computer to go outside.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her
parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She
can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is
acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a
choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a
price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter
break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of
Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s
a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she
sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden,
Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she
has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret
of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But
there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila
tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be
the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can
help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to
retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she
knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could
change everything.

Review:

It
is so hard for me to find the words to describe how insanely happy SPLIT SECOND
made me. Truly. Kasie West won her way into my heart with the first book in
this series, Pivot Point, and every
book she has written since simply serves to cement her place as one of my
favorite authors of all time.

This
book picks up where Pivot Point left
off. SPLIT SECOND is a breathless, swoony, heart-pounding ride. Addie is back
in all her awesome glory, this time joined with bestie Laila (who co-narrates
with her). And, of course, Trevor is back.

Let's
all take a second to swoon for Trevor.

OK,
get it together girls. Focus.

......Trevor......

FOCUS.

West
is one of those authors who keep you engaged from start to finish. She has this
brilliant way of making characters so genuine and sincere that you are consumed
by the stories they are telling. Admittedly I had my reservations about this
book being dual narration, but that was just so silly of me. Laila was just as
striking and compelling as Addie.

I am
a hardcore Kasie West fangirl. I am. This is one author who exploded onto the
YA scene in 2013 and hasn't had a stumble yet. Everything she writes is just
getting stronger and stronger. She's here to stay, so everyone needs to jump on
board now.

So I actually got to see this cover last week at the launched party for SECRET (book 4 in the Elementals series) that Brigid had at a near by B&N. She showed me on her phone and I might've snapped a pic of the pic on her phone with my phone.You get that?I can honestly say that THIS is my favorite cover of the series. It's just .... Well, see for yourselves:...................................................................................

Sacrifice: Book 5 in
the Elemental Series

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

One misstep and they
lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure.

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years.
His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an
Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her
own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s
defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have
turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war.

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the
white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…